Houda-Imane Faraoun, also spelled Feraoun, is an

Algerian Algerian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Algeria * Algerian people This article is about the demographic features of the population of Algeria, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, econo ...

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

and materials scientist who was appointed Minister of Post, Information Technology & Communication in the government of Algerian Prime Minister

Abdelmalek Sellal Abdelmalek Sellal ( ar, عبد المالك سلال, ʿAbd al-Mālik Silāl; born 1 August 1948) is an Algerian politician who was Prime Minister of Algeria from 3 September 2012 to 13 March 2014 when he took a leave of office to support Presiden ...

on 1 May 2015. She is also a professor of Physics at the University of

Tlemcen Tlemcen (; ar, تلمسان, translit=Tilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran, and capital of the Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the por ...

, a post she has held in various capacities since 2006. She holds a PhD in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

from the University of

Sidi Bel Abbès Sidi Bel Abbès ( ar, سيدي بلعباس), also called Bel Abbès, is the capital (2005 pop. 200,000)''Sidi Bel Abbes'', lexicorient.com (Encyclopaedia of the Orient), internet article. of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya (2005 pop. 590,000), Algeria ...

and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard. In 2021 she was sentenced to prison for embezzlement.

Early life

Faraoun was born in Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria on 16 June 1979. She received her baccalaureate at the age of 16. In 1999, at the age of 20, she received a degree (DES) in Physics from the University of Sidi Bel Abbès and began her studies for a doctorate in

Solid-state Physics Solid-state physics is the study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy. It is the largest branch of condensed matter physics. Solid-state physics studies how the l ...

at the same institution. A determined student, she concurrently pursued a doctorate at the University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard in Mechanical Engineering. In 2005, she received PhDs from both universities.

Career

In 2006, Faraoun was named an Instructor and Researcher at the University of

, a city in western Algeria. From 2010 to 2011, she served as the head of the university's

Condensed Matter Physics Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid phases which arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms. More generally, the sub ...

department. While still teaching, Faraoun served as the Director General of Algeria's Agency for Thematic Research, Science & Technology (ATRST) from 2012 to 2015. Her research at the University of Tlemcen focuses on materials science and

computational physics Computational physics is the study and implementation of numerical analysis to solve problems in physics for which a quantitative theory already exists. Historically, computational physics was the first application of modern computers in science, ...

. Over the course of her career, she has published more than forty articles in international scientific journals. Her most recent scientific publication, "Determination of Mechanical Properties of Porous Silicon with Image Analysis and Finite Element," was presented at the 8th International Conference on Material Sciences in December 2014. Faraoun was appointed as Minister of Post, Information Technology & Communication by Prime Minister

on 1 May 2015 during a larger cabinet re-shuffling. She is the youngest minister in the current Algerian cabinet, and one of the youngest women ministers in the country's history. Along with Aïcha Tagabou and Mounia Meslem, she is one of only three women in the current Algerian cabinet. In 2015,

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

named Faraoun No. 9 on its list of the Ten Most Powerful Arab Women in Government. On 24 December 2020 she and former Minister of Industry Djamila Tamazirt appeared before the investigating judge at the fourth chamber of the specialized criminal pole at the tribunal of Sidi M'hamed. She was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of one million dinars for "squandering public funds" and "granting of undue privileges and abuse of office" related to two contracts for optical fiber. The sentence was confirmed on 9 February 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Faraoun, Houda 1979 births Living people Government ministers of Algeria Algerian physicists Materials scientists and engineers People from Sidi Bel Abbès Women government ministers of Algeria 21st-century Algerian women politicians 21st-century Algerian politicians

Early life

Career

See also

References